Black dog

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A black dog may refer to any dark-hued canine. However, in England, it may also refer to one of several legendary supernatural dogs that are said to haunt the countryside. The most famous of these are the Barghest of Yorkshire and Black Shuck of East Anglia.

Believed to be the myth of Viking raiders, the Black Dog has been sighted as early as 856 in France. Many stories of the dog have come from Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, Germany, and the eastern United States. In the state of Missouri, USA, a hunter saw the Black Dog, and threw his ax at it. The ax went right through the Black Dog’s ghostly body. Conan Doyle was influenced by the stories of the Black Dog when he wrote the Sherlock Holmes story, "The Hound of the Baskervilles". ^[1]

Other cultures also include black dogs in their mythology. In Egypt, the god Anubis is portrayed as a Jackal-headed human being. In Greek mythology, Cerberus may be represented as black, and Hecate was known as "the black she-dog"; black dogs were sacrificed to her in purification rituals.

It is believed that if you see the "black dog" it means you will die unless you tell someone else you saw it.

Black dog is also a chiefly British slang phrase for clinical depression or simply depression. It is associated with Winston Churchill, although its origins are obscure. In 2002, the phrase was used to name the Black Dog Institute, an Australian educational, research and clinical facility dealing with mood disorders, including depression.

[edit] Other uses

Other uses of the term black dog include:

• Black Dog, a movie released in 1998.
• Also long haul trucker's slang for certain uppers, ephedrine or other stimulants.
• In the US, "black dog" is a euphemism for hallucination due to sleep deprivation in truckers. The image stems from a form of the hallucination where a black dog darts in front of the truck from the shadows, perhaps causing a wreck.
• "Black Dog" is the title of a number of songs, notably that by Led Zeppelin on the untitled fourth album.
• Black Dog is the pen name of a Japanese doujinshi artist.
• BlackDog is a mobilizing device, a fully self-contained computer. See http://www.projectblackdog.com
• "Black Eyed Dog" was one of the last songs recorded by Nick Drake before he died of an overdose of antidepressant medication.
• "Black Dog", a clarinet concerto for symphonic band composed by Scott McAllister.
• "Black Dog", a song released by musician Richard Beeston about his wife's struggle with depression over many years.
• Black Dog is the name of a minor character in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island.
• "Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound" is a canceled computer role playing game.
• Black Dog, the nickname of the Cowboy Bebop member Jet Black.
• Black Dog Productions, a seminal British electronica group. Also known as "The Black Dog".

[edit] Businesses

Among businesses with the name black dog:

• Black Dog Books, a book production house and publisher in Victoria, Australia.
• Black Dog Publishing is a highly illustrated art & architecture publisher based in London, England.
• Black Dog Game Studio, a line for "mature readers" books from White Wolf Game Studio.
• The Black Dog, a restaurant on the island of Martha's Vineyard famous for its t-shirts
• The Black Dog Freehouse, a bar in the historic Old Strathcona district of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
• Black Dog Studios, a web design company in Sacramento, California, USA.
• Blackdog Foundation, a non-profit which aims to curb domestic violence and help people with PTSD in Olympia, Washington.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ "Mythical Monsters", Tangerine Press, 2006,